Garment with hidden pockets for securely holding personal items

ABSTRACT

A garment for securely holding personal items at a location adjacent an armhole including pocket structures located below one or both armholes of the garment and/or pocket structures located along the shoulder of the garment.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application relates to and claims priority from U.S. Prov. Ser. No. 61/538,519 filed Sep. 23, 2011, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention pertains to garments for holding personal items and, more particularly, to garments with hidden pockets adjacent armholes in the garment for securely holding personal items at a position where the personal items are easily accessible only by the wearer.

2. Brief Discussion of the Related Art

In the past, garments have been designed to have various and multiple pockets for holding personal items; however, such pockets have not been positioned to provide security for the personal items as well as pemitting the personal items to be easily accessible by the wearer of the garment.

Recently, the use of portable electronic devices has increased dramatically, and it is desirable to carry such devices securely in a garment Such devices include, but are not limited to, personal digital assistants, cellular/digital phones and other similar wireless communication devices such as pagers, microcomputers, e-book readers, MP3 players, recording devices and other similar portable listening devices, portable television sets, radar detectors, pedometers, remote control units, portable UPS devices, two-way radios, cameras and video recorders/camcorders, calculators and miniature flashlights. Additionally, there are a multitude of accessories related to such portable electronic devices which would be desirably carried in garments.

It is extremely desirable to carry such portable electronic devices securely while also holding the devices in the garment in locations easily accessible to the wearer but not easily accessible to others.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, in one aspect, the present invention relates to a garment for securely holding personal items at locations adjacent one or both of the armholes of the garment to be easily accessible to the wearer by means of a pocket structure associated with a seam in the garment.

In another aspect, the present invention relates to securely holding personal items at a location under an armhole of a garment by use of a pocket structure having an opening located under the armhole of the garment and a bag accessible through the opening in the pocket structure to locate the personal item under an arm of the wearer. In a further aspect, the present invention relates to a garment for securely holding personal items at a shoulder of the garment above an armhole of the garment by use of a pocket structure having an opening extending along the shoulder of the garment and a bag associated with the opening positioned along the back of the wearer.

Some of the advantages of the garment for securely holding personal items in accordance with the present invention include the hidden nature of the underarm pocket structure and the shoulder pocket structure, the simplicity with which the garment can be manufactured while providing the unexpected features of security and accessibility and the holding of personal items at positions so as not to be uncomfortable in use by placing the pocket structures at positions not obstructing movement of the wearer.

Other aspects and advantages of the garment of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the garment taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like parts in each of the several figures are identified by the same reference character.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exterior view of the back of a garment according to, the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exterior view of the front of a garment according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an interior view of the back of a garment according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an interior view of the front of a garment according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a broken exterior view of underarm pocket structure for a garment according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a broken interior view of pocket structure for a garment according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a broken exterior view of a modification of pocket structure for the garment according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a broken side view illustrating a portion of pocket structure according to the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a broken interior view of a modification of pocket structure according to the present invention.

FIG. 10 is an exterior view of the front of a garment according to the present invention showing pocket structures carried on the shoulder of the garment, at the underarm of the garment and at a breast pocket of the garment.

FIGS. 11 and 12 illustrate arrangements for the breast pocket structure shown in FIG. 10.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The present invention relates to garments having hidden pockets for securely holding personal items where the garments are designed to be worn on the torso of a wearer and have armholes for receiving opposing arms of the wearer. The garment can be any type of apparel worn on the torso of a wearer including, but not limited to, jackets, vests, shirts, sweaters, coats, sweatshirts and the like. In describing the garment herein, the parts or panels of a garment are referred to as being made of “fabric” where fabric is intended to include any material such as cloth produced by knitting, weaving or felting fibers, or any other type material, such as real or pseudo leather, plastic, rubber or any other material that can be manufactured in panels and assembled to form a garment. The term “permanent” as used herein in describing parts of seams is meant to describe edges of fabric panels that are not intended to be separated as opposed to edges of fabric panels incorporating a type of closure to allow the edges to be selectively separated. The term “closure” as used herein includes any type of mechanism or device for selectively securing or joining edges of fabric panels together including, but not limited to, slide fasteners (Zippers), snaps, buttons, magnetic parts and complementary hook and loop fasteners (Velcro) and the like.

A garment 20, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4, is formed of a back fabric panel 22 and front fabric panels 24 and 26 which have edges meeting to define armholes 28 and 30 on opposite sides of the garment, As shown, sleeves 32 and 34 extend from armholes 28 and 30, respectively; however, the garment need not have sleeves but, rather, merely requires a shape to fit a torso of a wearer and armholes for receiving arms of the wearer. The body of the garment, formed by fabric panels 22, 24 and 26 as shown in FIG. 14, can be formed as a single layer of material or as multiple layers, for example including a lining.

The garment as shown in FIG. 14 includes hidden pocket structures 36 and 38 disposed below armholes 28 and 30, respectively, and a hidden pocket structure 40 disposed along an upper portion of the garment body to be located over the shoulder of the wearer. Each pocket structure is formed of an opening 0 and a bag B formed by a suitable material, normally a fabric similar to the fabric from which the garment is made, with the bag being accessible via the opening. As more clearly shown in FIG. 8, the fabric panels have edges joined together to form a seam having a selectively openable and closable portion forming the opening 0 for a pocket structure.

The bags for pocket structures 36 and 38 are disposed under the respective armholes 28 and 30 such that the bags are positioned along opposite sides of the wearer whereby a personal item disposed in a bag is accessible by an arm on the opposing side of the wearer. The fabric panels are formed of separate pieces of material having edges forming a permanently closed seam portion 46. A closure for opening 44 is shown in FIG. 8 as a slide fastener with a pull tab 48; and, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, only the pull tabs for the closure are visible, it being noted that the pull tabs typically are disposed within a flap F of a slide fastener construction so as not to be readably visible.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 5, the bag for the pocket structure can be secured to a fabric panel at a single lateral or longitudinal position 50 with bartacks 52 at spaced locations below 50. The pockets can also be secured at their peripheries as shown in FIGS. 6, 7 and 9, it being noted that FIG. 9 illustrates the bag being formed of a mesh material. Apertures 54 can be formed in the bags to allow passage or muting of wires therethrough. To buttress securement of the bags shown in FIGS. 6 and 9, dual stitching lines 56 and 58 can be utilized. The bags B of the pocket structures can be formed by a single layer of fabric secured at its periphery to one of the fabric panels of the garment body or can be fanned as a separate bag secured as its periphery to one of the fabric panels of the garment body.

As noted above, any desirable closure can be utilized to selectively open and close the opening, which can be formed by a selectively operable and closable seam portion.

FIG. 10 shows a breast pocket 60 on a left side of the garment body and a welt pocket 62 positioned on the right side of a fabric panel at the front of the garment body. The welt pocket 62 is angularly disposed adjacent the armhole 30 so as to be essentially hidden by the arm of the wearer. The breast pocket 60 has a welt hidden pocket structure 64 as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 within art outer pocket 66 so as to be hidden from view within the outer pocket. FIG. 11 shows the outline of the breast pocket 60 with the inner welt pocket 64 therein, and FIG. 12 shows a divided welt pocket within the outer pocket. in the breast pocket shown in FIG. 12, a stitch line 68 runs down the center and is not stitched to the shell fabric but, rather, the bag is stitched to the exterior shell at the welt, the sides, the top and the bottom. The hidden pocket bag is sewn to the shell of the garment by the exterior pocket stitching, and the divided hidden pocket bag permits use of the compartments 70 and 72 on either side of the stitch line for different objects, such as writing implements. A magnet arrangement 74 can be disposed above welts W to hold the breast pocket arrangement in place.

As described above, the hidden pockets for the garment can be made along the seams normally present in a garment along the sides under the armholes and along the shoulders. To this end, the garment body is formed of at least two fabric panels associated with the armholes of the garment with the edges of the fabric panels being joined together to form a seam having a selectively openable and closable portion (opening 0) with an open position and a closed position and joined together to define a permanent portion for the seam. The bags for the pocket structures are positioned so as to be unobtrusive yet easily accessible with an opposing arm. That is, a pocket structure located under a left armhole of the garment can be accessed by the right arm of the user. Similarly, a pocket structure located on a left shoulder of the garment can be accessed by the right arm. In this manner, personal items held in the pocket structures are easily accessible to the wearer but are not accessible to others due to their locations relative to the armholes. The pocket structure bags can be made of a water repellent/waterproof fabric to protect the item held therein, and the use of a mesh fabric for the bag increases ventilation.

If desired, the hidden pocket structures can be secured to the garment using only bartacks at the four corners of a pocket bag with only the slide fastener (Zipper) pull being visible from the back of the garment. The pocket structures can be located on either side of the garment, individually, or on both sides. The bag of a pocket structure can be created using either one layer or two layers of fabric which can be mesh, a performance material or any other desired fabric. When a single layer of fabric is used to form the bag, the single layer is sewn to the exterior shell of the garment. The buttonholes or apertures formed in the bags allow access to the front lining of the garment and wiring systems. Using bartacks at the top and bottom of the side seam and the corners of the pocket bag, the bartacks are the only indication of a pocket without opening the pocket or examining by pulling apart the exterior flap of the slide fastener or other closure. Preferably, the closure tabs am not visible from the front of the garment but only from the side and/or the back.

Inasmuch as the present invention is subject to many variations, modifications and changes in detail, it is intended that all subject matter discussed above or shown in the accompanying drawings be interpreted as illustrative only and not be taken in a limiting sense. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A garment for securely holding personal items at a location adjacent an armhole of the garment to be hidden from view but easily accessible to the wearer of the garment comprising: a body for receiving a torso of the wearer including at least one armhole for receiving an aim of the wearer, said body including a first fabric panel associated with said at least one armhole and having a first edge and a second fabric panel associated with said at least one armhole and having a second edge; said first and second edges being joined together to form a seam with a selectively openable and closable portion having an open position and a closed position; and a pocket structure supported by at least said first fabric panel at a location adjacent said selectively openable and closable seam portion, said pocket structure being accessible through said selectively openable and closable seam portion in said open position and being of a size to securely hold a personal item in said closed position.
 2. A garment as recited in claim 1 wherein: said seam is disposed under said at least one armhole and along said garment body such that said pocket structure is located under said at least one armhole and under an arm of the wearer.
 3. A garment as recited in claim 2 wherein: said pocket structure includes an opening formed by said selectively openable and closable seam portion in said open position, a bag formed by fabric attached to said first fabric panel adjacent said selectively openable and closable seam portion and a closure secured adjacent said selectively openable and closable seam portion and being selectively operable to place said selectively openable and closable seam portion in said open and closed positions.
 4. A garment as recited in claim 3 wherein: said body includes a flap extending laterally from one or both of said fabric panels adjacent one or both of said first and second edges to cover said selectively openable and closable seam portion and said closure.
 5. A garment as recited in claim 3 wherein: said bag extends rearwardly from said selectively openable and closable seam portion to an extent such that said bag is positioned along a first side of the wearer whereby a personal item in said bag is accessible by an arm on a second side of the wearer opposite the first side.
 6. A garment as recited in claim 2 wherein: said first and second fabric panels are formed of separate pieces of material having edges forming said permanently closed seam portion in longitudinal alignment with said selectively openable and closable seam portion.
 7. A garment as recited in claim 1 wherein: said first and second panels form at least part of said garment body and said seam is disposed above said at least one armhole such that said selectively openable and closable seam portion is disposed the shoulder of the wearer.
 8. A garment as recited in claim 6 wherein: said pocket structure includes an opening formed by said selectively openable and closable seam portion in said open position, a bag formed by fabric attached to said first fabric panel adjacent said openable and closable seam portion and a closure secured adjacent said selectively openable and closable seam portion and being selectively operable to place said selectively openable and closable seam portion in said open and closed positions.
 9. A garment as recited in claim 1 wherein: said first and second panels form at least part of said garment body and said seam is disposed under said at least one armhole and along said garment body, said selectively openable and closable seam portion being disposed along an upper portion of said seam under said armhole such that said pocket structure is located adjacent the underarm of the wearer.
 10. A garment as recited in claim 1 wherein: said first and second panels form at least part of said garment body and said seam is disposed over said at least one armhole and along a shoulder of said garment body, said selectively openable and closable seam portion being disposed along a portion of said seam over said armhole such that said pocket structure is located along the shoulder of the wearer.
 11. A garment for securely holding personal items at a location hidden from view but easily accessible to the wearer of the garment comprising: a body for receiving the torso of the wearer and having a shoulder at an upper portion of the body; a pair of opposing armholes on opposite sides of said body at said shoulder for receiving the right and left anus of the wearer, respectively; a pocket structure disposed directly under one of said armholes including an opening in said body below said armhole and a bag attached to said body and extending rearwardly from said opening to an extent such that said bag is positioned along a first side of the wearer whereby a personal item in said bag is accessible by an arm on a second side of the wearer opposite the first side.
 12. A garment as recited in claim 11 wherein: said pocket structure includes a selectively operable closure for said opening.
 13. A garment as recited in claim 11 and further comprising: a second pocket structure disposed directly under the other of said armholes including an opening in said body below said other armhole and a bag attached to said body extending rearwardly from said opening to an extent such that said bag is positioned along the second side of the wearer whereby a personal item in said bag is accessible by an arm on the first side of the wearer. 